Christmas Love Dragons

🎄🎄🎄 Merry Christmas everyone! 🎄🎄🎄

I am scheduling this post as today I would like to show you the Christmas card I made for my husband …I never publish it until after he has had chance to open it on Christmas Day 😀

Back in September I made him a wedding anniversary card using the gorgeous Lee Holland cuddling “Love Dragons” image (post here); so when I saw the same dragons wearing Santa hats I just had to have that image for his Christmas card 😍

I coloured my image with Promarkers and drew “scales” with fine liner pens, then embellished the hats with holographic glitter, and created snowflakes with my Posca pen. I then matted and layered with my papers, ribbons, die cut and stamped sentiments, and die cut and punched snowflakes. I have to 'fess up that the teeny snowflakes were prompted by one of them needing to cover a smudge with my Posca pen .. but after so many hours creating the card I just had to rescue it!! 

My thanks also need to go to Alyce at Kit & Clowder for her fab colouring class which covered colouring LH dragons and drawing scales .. I think I still have some way to go but I love colouring them nonetheless!

Stamps: Lee Holland Christmas Dragon Couple; sentiments - Me To You;

Media: Promarkers;

Papers: LotV Nitwits ‘Twas The Night;

Tools: Tattered Lace die - Merry Christmas; Cuttlebug Cut ‘n’ Emboss - Ice Crystal; Martha Stewart snowflake punch;

Gems and glitter from my stash.

Challenges I would like to enter:

As You Like It - Favourite Christmas Sentiment and why (2nd entry)

(I actually have several, but I always think Merry Christmas hits the spot, and this ornate Tattered Lace die never disappoints. Also I love making cards with the sentiment “For My Wonderful Husband” 😍)

Christmas With the Cuties #56 - ‘Twas the Challenge Before Christmas

( I have chosen theme #55 - Make A Card for Someone Special)

Crafter’s Cafe # 280 - Use Some of your Favourites (2nd entry)

(I have used.a Lee Holland dragon image, and my favourite Christmas sentiment die).

Crafty Calendar (December) - Christmas (3rd entry) - TOP 3

 Creative Moments #229 - Anything Goes

Cutie Pie Challenge #166 - Cute and Cuddly Christmas

DRU #183 - Anything Goes using a brand of die DRU sells (2nd entry)

(I have used Tattered Lace)

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies #2151 - Anything Goes

Passion for Markers #621 - Mega Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes (2nd entry) 

Uniko Challenge #68 - Celebrate with option of Reds and Greens (3rd entry)

I hope you are all enjoying time with your loved ones - I will be spending the day quietly with my husband, hopefully enjoying a lovely turkey dinner and chilling in front of the TV. Hope you all have a wonderful time whatever you’re doing. I will be taking a break from cardmaking and blogging over Christmas and look forward to seeing you on 1 January with my DT card for the first Allsorts challenge of 2022.

Until then - wishing you all a very happy, healthy and peaceful Christmas, and hope you stay safe in these uncertain times.

Thanks for visiting,

Hugs,

Wish Upon A Star

In recent years I have had just two “special” (ie. larger) Christmas cards to make - one for my husband and one for his aunt. Today I’d like to show you the card I have made for his aunt - she is elderly so I have made her a traditional card combining my Lavinia stamps in a fairly classic  design along with traditional papers and embellishments. 

The overall card blank is 8” square, so I cut a 6” square piece of stamping card, and sponged a large circle onto it using distress oxide ink and a home made circle mask, then stamped my wording round the sides of the circle. I stamped my reindeer in the middle, then created a wreath of fir comes, holly and berries. I stamped my North Star just where the reindeer could gaze upon it, and sponged the edges of the panel with distress ink. I “grounded” the reindeer and highlighted him and the fir cones and holly with my Sakura stardust pen .. the card is actually extremely sparkly but as ever the photo doesn’t really capture that, so I have taken another photo at an angle which shows the sparkle a bit better.

. I then matted and layered the finished panel onto my backing card and tartan patterned paper which I thought complemented the reindeer scene perfectly.  I finished the card off with a die cut poinsettia and holly flourish, and my sentiment stamped onto a distressed piece of card stock and popped up on foam tape.

Stamps: Lavinia Reindeer (large), Fir Cone Branch, Mini Holly, Mini Berries, North Star Mini, Stars 1 Mini, Winter Magic; sentiment - Pink Gem;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide ink  (Iced Spruce, Barn Door); Distress Ink (Antique Linen); Versafine  (Onyx, Sepia); Versafine Clair (Rainforest); Brilliance pigment ink (Galaxy Gold);

Papers: LotV Nitwits ‘Twas the Night;

Tools: Dies - Marianne Design LR0122 Poinsettas, Cheery Lynn Designs Holly Flourish.

Challenges I would like to enter:

As You Like It - Favourite Christmas Sentiment and Why

(I have several, but one of my favourites is “with love at Christmas” as it conveys the love that has gone into making and sending the card)

Addicted to Stamps and More #420 - Die Cuts and Stencils

C.R.A.F.T. - Christmas - The Last Stretch

Crafter’s Cafe #280 - Use Some of Your Favourites

( I have used my favourite new Lavinia stamps and distress oxide inks)

Creative Inspirations (December) - Christmas Time (2nd entry)

DRU #183 - Anything Goes using a brand of dies DRU sells

(I have used a Cheery Lynn die)

My TIme to Craft #472 - Christmas Animals (2nd entry)

Sheepski Designs #57 - Embellish It (2nd entry)

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Bling It On

Uniko Challenge #68 - Celebrate with Option of Reds and Greens (2nd entry)

This is my final Christmas card for posting in 2021 … just my husband’s to make now and a handful for the neighbours!

Thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Snowy firs

Well here we are ... December already!! How are your Christmas cards coming along?? I'm still in feverish preparation mode, though no longer quite in "total panic" ... but I daren't take my eye off the ball!!

Today I would like to share a couple of CAS Christmas card I have made recently ... in fact I have made a couple of batches of cards very similar to these, around 8 cards in total. 

The general concept of stamping fir trees onto an inked panel in the middle of white space was inspired by a card I saw by Elizabeth Arden on Pinterest here .. I have adapted the idea by using a different combo of stamps, and different colours of ink on my background which is a deckle rectangle rather than a normal square.

For my first card I cut a deckle rectangle mask using my nestie dies, then used it to make a Distress Oxide panel which I spattered with water. I then stamped my trees using Versafine, and my star using Versamark and embossing with detail white EP. I added a sentiment and three teeny gems to mirror the colour grading on my inked panel, and matted simply on dusky blue glitter card.

My second card is very similar except that instead of spattering water onto my inked background I had my first go with my new white Posca pen to create snowflakes. I actually tried this technique on 4 cards and this was the best one .. I need to practice to get smaller spots!! 

Stamps: Lavinia “Fairy Fir Tree 2”, “Small Fairy Fir Tree”, “Small Fairy Fir Tree 2”, “North Star Mini”; sentiment - Stampendous (card 1), Elzybells (card 2);

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks - Chipped Sapphire, Stormy Sky, Tumbled Glass, Iced Spruce; Heat It Up detail white EP; Posca white pen;

Tools: Spellbinders nestabilities "Deckle rectangles"; corner punch; 

Glitter card and gems from my stash.

Challenges I would like to enter: 

AAA CAS Challenge #204 - Along the Edge with Optional Twist - Snow

Country View Challenges (December) - Christmas Anything Goes

Crafts Galore Encore #94 - Anything Goes - DT FAVOURITE

Creatalicious #224 - Anything Goes with option of Christmas

Do-Al(l) Kreatives #60 - Christmas Fragrance is In The Air

Dream Valley #260 - Christmas

Shopping Our Stash #459 - Triple Threat - TOP 3

(tree images and gems on card 1)

Simon Says (Monday) - Sparkle Mode

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Happy Holidays / Christmas

Sparkles Christmas Challenge #131 - Non-Traditional Colours

Thanks very much for visiting today - take care and stay safe.

Hugs,

I see trees of green ...

... and I think to myself, what a wonderful world!!

Yes I’m here again with another Christmas card using my new Lavinia stamps … you will be seeing a lot more of these as I enter the mad scramble phase for Christmas readiness!!

I decided to experiment with a green colour scheme instead of blue as per yesterday’s cards, using my new Speckled Egg and Iced Spruce DO’s and Versafine Clair in Rainforest. I also used my new Fir Cone Branch and Mini Holly stamps to partially frame the scene, and tried heat embossing my stars with Silver Pearl embossing powder … looks quite twinkly in daylight but not as impactful as white.  I also highlighted the edge of the moon and snowdrifts, tree branches and pine cones with my Sakura stardust pen - looks much more twinkly than in the picture!

Stamps: Lavinia “Small Fairy Fir Tree 2”, “Fir Cone Branch”, "Mini Holly", "Stars 1 Mini" and “Spirit of Christmas”; 

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Inks - Iced Spruce, Specked Egg, Cracked Pistachio; Versafine Clair - Rainforest; Sakura gelly roll pen - Stardust and red.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Classic Design Challenge (November) - Anything Goes (6th entry)

Crafty Catz #572 - Anything Goes with option Sparkle & Shine - TOP 3

Do Al(l) Kreatives #59 - Embossing Plus Frosty Times (2nd entry) - WINNER

Double D - Trees

Krafty Chicks #585 - Christmas (2nd entry)

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies #2146 - Anything Goes (2nd entry) - HONOURABLE MENTION

Simon Says (Monday) - Trees (2nd entry) - DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT & WINNER

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Make Your Own Background

The Holly & Ivy #105 - Anything Christmas Goes (2nd entry)

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Just got back from having my Covid booster jab, so I'm going to have a cup of tea and a chill out now, and hope that my arm won't be too sore to craft tomorrow!

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Allsorts Challenge #650

Good morning everyone,

It's Saturday so it's time for another weekly Allsorts Challenge. This week Wendy has chosen the theme and it is

Christmas

So it's your perfect opportunity to catch up with those Chrimbo makes if you haven't already!

We have 2 lovely prizes on offer this week:

Fistly, we have this bundle of Christmas ribbons and embellishments

... and secondly

Ruth Hamilton Design

is offering 3 images of the winner's choice.

Ruth has some new images due to go on her website soon, and some of my fellow teamies have used these designs to give you a sneak peek … you can see them on the main challenge blog.

Here's my card for this week.

This is another LotV James the Bear stamp I’ve had from about 3 or 4 years ago and am sure I never inked before. I coloured him with Promarkers and Flexmarkers, including creating a wash around the image where I then lifted the colour by dabbing with rubbing alcohol and a cotton bud. I also broke out a couple of snowflake dies and punches I haven't used for a while - I do really love this gorgeous Memory Box border. I also decided to add a bit of sparkle both with gems and some holographic glitter on James's darling Santa hat.

Stamps : LotV “James Snowman”; sentiment - Penny Black “Joy, Hope” (3898F);

Media: Promarkers and Flexmarkers;

Papers: LotV “Frosty Snowflakes”;

Tools: Memory Box die “Frostyville Border”; snowflake die (unknown); Martha Stewart snowflake punch.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Classic Design Challenge (November) - Anything Goes (4th entry)

C.R.A.F.T. #617 - Christmas

Creative Inspirations (November) - Wonderful Winter/Feeling Festive

Cutie Pie #165 - Anything Cute

Dragonfly Dreams  (November) - Christmas/Winter

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies #2145 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Pearly Sparkles #68 - Merry Christmas

Stamping Sensations (November) - Christmas

The Holly & Ivy #105 - Anything Christmas Goes

We Love Stamping (November) - Christmas

Hope you can join us this week, and I look forward to seeing your entries. Don't forget to visit the challenge blog to see more inspiration from the rest of the team. Thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Allsorts Challenge #646

Hi everyone,

It's Saturday so it's time for another weekly Allsorts Challenge. This week Brenda has chosen the theme and it is

Anything Autumn

This week we have 2 fantastic prizes for you:

Firstly a stamp from Lavinia Stamps

Spotty Toadstools

and

Tim Holtz On the Edge Pennants die

Here’s my card.

I struggled a bit with this theme as I don’t really own much in the way of dedicated “autumn” stash, so I had to get a bit creative. I decided to make a scene in autumn colours centred around the nearest thing I have to a bare branch tree stamp, and to make an autumnal sky by blending some of my new DO inks and using a mask and hone made stencils for the sun and hills. I then over stamped and embossed my tree, hedgerow flowers and butterflies, mounted the scene simply and added a generic sentiment that I thought suited the general atmosphere of the card.  

Stamps: tree - Penny Black “Fantasy” (3880K); hedgerow flowers and butterflies - “Meadow Flowers” free with Cardmaking magazine; sentiment - LotV “Everyday Grungy Messages”;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Inks and Distress Oxide Inks;

Paper and twine from my stash.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Country View Challenges (October) - Autumnal Colours or Hallowe’en  (2nd entry)

Creative Craft Cottage #145 - Autumn and/or Hallowe’en

Creative Knockouts #423 - Embossing Delight (2nd entry)

Four Seasons Challenge (October) - Anything Goes Fall

My Time To Craft #468 - Hallowe'en or Fall Colours

Pearly Sparkles #67 - Autumn and/or Hallowe’en

Penny Black Saturday Challenge (October) - Anything Goes with option colour inspiration - TOP 3

(I have chosen yellow, orange and green)

Retro Rubber Challenge #169 - Anything Goes

(My Penny Black stamp is at wood-mounted and at least 13 years old, and my LotV sentiment probably 10 years old)

Simon Says (Monday) - Autumn Mood Board

(I was inspired by colours orange and brown, and tree)

We Love Chocolate Baroque (October) - Anything Autumn (2nd entry)

Hope you can join us this week, and I look forward to seeing your entries. Don't forget to visit the challenge blog to see more inspiration from the rest of the team. Thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

Allsorts Challenge #645

Good morning everyone,

It's Saturday so it's time for another weekly Allsorts Challenge.  Thanks to all the other members of the team for their kind welcome last week, and to other commenters both here and on FB for your kind words. 

This week Lolo has chosen the theme and it is

Embellish it

We have 2 great prizes on offer for you: firstly

Crafty Ribbons is offering a £10 gift voucher for their store (winner pays postage and packing)

And secondly we have a sizzix die for you

Tim Holtz On the Edge Butterflight

Back in the day when I was previously crafting regularly I was definitely into my embellies big time - I was something of a "fussy and fancy" girl and went by the motto "more is more"! Now however I try to keep my cards a bit flatter ... not least because the padded envelope size I used to use for my embellished cards is no longer readily available, and this week I needed to post a card I had made in the past laden with flowers and it was a bit of a nightmare!! Nonetheless I still love my ribbons, gems etc. I also felt the time has come when I need to start seriously cracking on with some Christmas cards, so here's what I did.

I've scarcely made any Christmas cards for about 5 years now other than a couple for close family, so I was casting around in my stash for inspiration and found a couple of LotV rubber stamps I had bought 3 or 4 years ago with good intentions of doing some Christmas makes but never used .. how shocking is that? I always loved James the Bear, so I thought it was about time this stamp got inky. I coloured him with my Promarkers and added some glamour dust to his hat; and my embellishments consist chiefly of a triple loop bow (I couldn't remember how to do these so had to make a few attempts with my Bow-Easy!), and a couple of jingle bells! 

Stamps: Lot\V "James Christmas Tree" and "Grungy Christmas Sentiments";

Media: Promarkers and Flexmarkers;

Papers: LotV Nitwits Collection - "Festive Trimmings";

Tools: Spellbinders Nestabilities "labels one" dies;

Jute and gingham ribbons, pearls and bells from my stash.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Christmas Crafts All Year Round (October) - Something that Starts with S or T

(T is for tree)

Colour Crazy Challenge #40 - Anything Goes

Crafter's Castle #46 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Crafty Animals #55 - Anything Goes including an animal

Crafty Creations #426 - Anything Goes

Critter Crazy Challenges #55 - Anything Goes with a featured critter

Cute Card Thursday #693 - Anything Goes

Get Creative #106 - Anything Goes with optional twist of Holidays

Krafty Chicks #580 - Anything Goes with a stamped image - TOP PICK

MAWTT #135 - Bingo Board (2nd entry)

(ribbon, wording, gems)

Passion For Markers #612 - Use Red - TOP 5

Simon Says ... - Happy World Card Making Day (3rd entry)

Stamping Sensations (October) - Animals, Birds and Bugs

The Holly and Ivy #102 - Anything Christmas Goes

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Hope you can join us this week, and I look forward to seeing your entries. Don't forget to visit the challenge blog to see more inspiration from the rest of the team. Thanks for visiting.

Hugs,

One stamp, two ways

On Saturday I shared my first DT card for Allsorts Challenge which used the gorgeous Woodware Stamp "Bold  Blooms - Erica".  Today I would like to show you the same stamp but with a totally different "look": I have now received my new stencils, so I have made my first attempt at a card using both a full-on distress oxide background, masking and stencilling - woo hoo! Having just cottoned on to DO's, stencils and masking after my time away from crafting I am full of ideas and this stamp is pretty much ideal to use with a lot of them!

I stamped my image and coloured it using Promarkers, then masked the image so I could create my background by blending DO's with a mini blending tool, followed by a bit of spritzing and heat setting. I then stencilled using Versamark and brushed with Perfect Pearls .. I absolutely love the effect of this! It being a miserable autumn day it wasn't easy to capture the sheen, so I took a pic in electric light. The stencilling is actually very twinkly!

After setting the Perfect Pearls with more water spritzing, I added some shadow stamping to the corners using a crackle stamp and normal distress ink, and created 1 or 2 random rings by dabbing a pen top into my distress ink pad and then using it to stamp! 

Simple mounting on metallic card, sentiment, twine and a couple of teeny gems and I was done. Once again though this took a long time as I am still in experimental mode. I am absolutely thrilled with this new crafting direction though and can't wait to continue.

Stamps: Main image and sentiment - Woodware "Bold Blooms - Erica"; crackle shadow stamp - Butterfly Kisses clear set;

Media: Image - Promarkers; background - TH Distress Oxide inks - Spiced Marmalade, Cracked Pistachio, Twisted Citron; TH Distress ink - Tea Dye;  stencilling - Perfect Pearls - Copper;

Paper: LotV;

Tools: Darkroom Door small stencil - Honeycomb; Dragon Crafts masking sheets;

Twine, button and gems from my stash.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Addicted to Stamps and More #415 - Die Cuts and Stencils

(I have used my first ever stencil)

As you Like It - Favourite Autumn or Winter and Why

(My favourite is autumn as I love autumn colours and hate winter cold!)

Colour Crazy Challenge #39 - Anything Goes with Colouring (2nd entry)

Country View Challenges (October) - Autumn and /or Hallowe’en

Crafter's Castle #46 - Anything Goes

Crafts Galore Encore #92 - Anything Goes

Crafty Catz #566 - Anything Goes with option Autumn Shades - TOP 3

Creative Inspirations (September/October) - Fabulous Fall

Creative Moments #223 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

MAWTT #135 - Bingo Board - TOP 3

(wording, patterned paper, buttons)

Simon Says … - Happy World Cardmaking Day

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

Sisterhood of Crafters - Stencils

Sparkles #144 - Autumn Colours

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

We Love Chocolate (Baroque (October) - Anything Autumn

(I have gone for autumn colours)

So that's me done for today ... I had hoped to make two cards but somehow time ran away with me. Thanks very much for visiting and take care.

Hugs,

Exciting news - new DT member for Allsorts Challenge #644

Good morning everyone - I have some really exciting news which I have been bursting to share, and today's the day! I have been asked by the lovely Brenda to join the Design Team for the Allsorts Challenge - woo hoo!!  Having just got back into cardmaking over the summer I am absolutely thrilled to have this new focus to keep me motivated to carry on crafting and try new techniaues, and I'm excited to be working with and getting to know the other talented ladies on the DT.

Allsorts is one of my favourite challenges and is clearly doing something right as it continues to thrive after over 12 years of weekly challenges ... it provides fab inspiration and also offers fantastic prizes from a variety of crafty providers! Sadly the one down side of being on the DT is that I won't be able to enter in hope of winning them any more! ☺️

Anyhoo to business ... Lynn has chosen this week's theme for Week #644 and it is

I love ....

.. so this could be anything you love - eg. favourite stamp, colour, style of crafting .. the choice is endless😀

This week we are offering 2 prizes:

 Helping Hands Craft is kindly offering a £15 store voucher 

Also we are offering a Tim Holtz on The Edge Pennant die

Obviously the main thing I'm loving right now is getting involved in the Allsorts DT, so it seemed only right that for my first DT card I should use a stamp that I won in the recent "Challenge for Kath" that Allsorts held in memory of their dear fellow DT member who recently passed away - and I really do love this stamp! I also love flowers, and the colour combo of pink and green so that ticks a few boxes!

I coloured my stamp with Promarkers and Flexmarkers using a "dotty" technique that was inspired by an image I found on Pinterest (see below) whilst googling to find the exact name of this stamp. The image is from the gallery of Julia Watts Crafts blog for a Hochanda Woodware stamps show broadcast in June 2017.  I just love this colouring technique and will surely use it again in future with bold floral stamps.

As the stamp and DP are so bold I kept the layout of my card simple, and just did a bit of freehand faux stitching with my piercing tool, ruler and fine liner.

Stamps: Image - Woodware Bold Blooms - Erica; Sentiment - Penny Black "Flourish Birthday" (4071F);

Media: Promarkers and Flexmarkers;

Paper and gems from my stash.

Challenges I would like to enter:

A Gem of a Challenge #20 - Anything Goes (2nd entry) - WINNER

Colour Crazy Challenge #39 - Anything Goes with Colouring

Crafter’s Cafe #275 - Anything Goes

Creatalicious #220 - Anything Goes with the option of Favourite Colour Combo -TOP 3

(mine is pink & green)

Creations in Pink #37 - Anything Goes in Mainly Pink

Creative Moments #223 -Anything Goes

I ♥ Promarkers #444 - Anything Goes with option Make it Square - TOP 3

NBUS #31 - Use Never Before Used Schtuff

(mine is the flower stamp)

Passion for Markers #611 - In the Pink - TOP 5

Penny’s Challenge #506 - Anything Goes with Paper

Simon Says … - Happy World Cardmaking Day

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Hope you can join us for this week's Allsorts challenge and look forward to seeing your entries. Don't forget to visit the challenge blog to see more inspiration from the rest of the team.

Have a good weekend, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,